Bleach: The Concept of Heaven
by ThatStraightedgeGuy
Summary: Soul Society is about to be involved in another major conflict and the very concept of the afterlife is going to be shaken to the core. At the forefront is a group who'd much rather not get involved and an enemy who wants that group dead.
1. Chapter 1: Introductions

-This is a re-upload. There were numerous things that I wanted to change, for various reasons, so I decided to start again.-  
Right here is the first thing that I have been confident enough to publish. I do not own anything to do with Bleach canon of course.

I encourage creative criticism on my works! Also, I welcome any private messaging that isn't 'lol u suck go die' Enjoy!

**Chapter 1: Introductions...**

"_**In retrospect that should have been my first warning that something was horribly wrong"**_

"Hmm, I wonder why we have been called there?"  
"Gah, I don't know, the teachers seem to like picking on us I suppose?"  
"Well, we are a pretty shady bunch eh?"  
"Shut up Kari"  
"Oi, don't tell me to shut up 'Joe-Sup'"  
"Hmpf, I told you to stop calling me that!"  
"A-ha, I don't think I will be stopping any time soon"  
That was the conversation of two very different people, Kari Chastain, eighteen and in her last year of High School, a very abrasive individual who seemed to enjoy completely disregarding the opinions of others and spouting her own. Her black hair flowed behind her as she walked down the corridor, fashioned into a fringe and down to her shoulders. The other, Josip Seferovic, seventeen, was a tall and lean, but muscular young man, with brown hair that was shorter on one side. He talked as if he was completely disinterested in what others were saying to him, and used every opportunity to be as sarcastic as possible to whomever he was talking to. "So, I shall ask again Joe-Sup! Why do you think that we're being called here?" Kari said quizzically, her brown eyes finding a way to see through Josip's sarcastic and snide exterior like always. "As I said, I don't know" he replied with a serious look, his deep brown eyes staring at the ground as he walked along the carpet-floored corridor.

The building and the school in general was a fairly old affair with orange brick buildings and red tiled roofs. There were three corridors in general, all a fair distance from each other and separated by a grass oval and various places where one could sit down and eat on tables and benches. There were plenty of trees strewn about the school which made it a nice place to be around that time of year, because of the the red and orange leaves which fell in large numbers, and made loud crunching noises as Josip and Kari walked together towards what they thought would be an interrogation of some kind.  
"Don't you just love autumn?" Kari asked to Josip's surprise, as she went out of her way to step on every leaf that she possibly could.  
"It is okay I guess?" he replied, shrugging his shoulders as he spoke, much to the disdain of Kari, who sneered at him.  
"I think the leaves make this shitty school a bit more bearable to look at"  
"Yeah, you're right"

The two arrived at the large green door of the front office. It was marred with splinters and cracks and looked like it was ready to break into a million pieces. There were rumours abound of students cutting themselves while trying to open it, it was a miracle that the thing hadn't been replaced already. Just to the side of the door, rusting gold letters were meant to spell 'Northlane Secondary School', however, a few letters were missing, so they read 'Nrtlane Econday Sool' instead. Behind them the Australian flag fluttered, along with the school's, and another flag-pole laid bare.  
"What're you waiting around for, go ahead!" exclaimed Kari as she pushed Josip into the door.  
"Idiot, that's dangerous! Have you seen this door? The thing could slice my head open if it wanted to!"  
"Oh geez, stop your bitching and open the door!"  
It was virtually impossibly to go against Kari's whims, so Josip begrudgingly opened the door to the front office, making sure that he didn't accidentally slice off his hand in the process.

"Come in guys"  
said Mister Baker with a welcoming tone to his voice. Kari and Josip sat down on the chairs across from him. His desk was filled with books and paperwork all messily strewn about. His laptop was open and facing towards him, the glowing screen lighting his face in the dark room. A bookshelf in the corner caught Josip's eye due to the amount of religious texts and other items such as crosses. On his desk lay a copy of the bible and a quirky Jesus bobble-head that seemed to be staring at the both of them, almost as if they were being judged by it, as opposed to the actual principal. Mr Baker was a middle aged man, and it was noticeable due to the lines beginning to form upon his face and his greying hair which had become home to a bald spot atop his head. He was a somewhat heavy set fellow, but not enough to be considered really overweight. He always wore a suit, rain, hail or shine. Legend had it that he even wore a suit to bed every night, obviously just a school rumour that was passed around by teenagers but which Josip had seriously believed at some points whilst attending school there. The blinds behind Mr Baker let in slits of sunlight that shone into Josip's eyes, causing him to squint much to Kari's amusement, even though they seemed to be doing exactly the same thing to her.  
"So, uhm, sir, why exactly have you called us here?" asked Kari innocently.  
"Yes, well, it has come to my attention that the two of you seem to have a habit for disappearing during school hours without informing teachers as well as returning to school pretty banged up sometimes. Now. Even though the former is an issue I am willing to ignore it for the time being due to you two still being very well behaved students who score quite high on tests and other assessments. However! Coming back to school banged up is a whole different can of worms and a cause for concern, especially because I do not want either of your families complaining when you guys go home covered in cuts and bruises."  
Josip and Kari looked at each other and simultaneously sighed in relief. It seemed as if the judge would be merciful today and that no sentence would be passed down upon them. The bobble-head kept shaking it's head and was quite unnerving for Josip who felt as if he was still being judged.  
"Well, uhm, you see Sir we just went down to the nearby river and Josip, being as clumsy as he is, fell, and rolled down the hill and into a tree!" Kari exclaimed seemingly enjoying deceiving Mr Baker as she did with most of the teachers here.  
"I just wanted to help him out so I ran after him y'know, and I got a few cuts from the branches in my way" she said politely.  
_"Oh great, she is trying to make herself look like a hero" _thought Josip, glaring at Kari whenever he got the chance. To Josip this story seemed utterly ridiculous, but he knew that Mr Baker would buy it. He always bought Kari's stupid stories and lies whenever she told them, as did most teachers at the school. The only thing that could make this even more painful would be an anecdote of some kind, Josip thought, looking as bored as ever, slouching in his really uncomfortable chair. Mr Baker thought for a second and sighed with a smile. He stood up and parted the blinds on his window with his fingers to look outside. Josip and Kari looked at each other preparing for the judgement.  
"You know. I used to be quite the uhm, troublemaker, sneaking away from school, making out with girls and the like" Mr Baker said with a chuckle. It was Josip's worst fear, an anecdote from the Principal. He ran his hand through his thick hair and rolled his eyes, his uncomfortable look was amusing to Kari, who, just to annoy Josip further asked Mr Baker to continue his story.  
_Fuck you _mouthed Josip towards Kari who was smiling gleefully whilst Mr Baker continued to look out the window, rambling about his youth, the bobble-head continuing to bounce, much to Josip's disdain.

"...and that is when I decided that I would help young people find their way"  
"Wow, that was an inspirational story sir!" exclaimed Kari, much to the delight of the Principal who had a grin that stretched from ear to ear. It was incredible to think about how much Kari got away with. Her voice was so smooth and she could seemingly get herself out of any detrimental situation that she found herself in.  
"Well, I think that you two need to get back to class don't you?"

"Yes, we do sir, we apologise for any inconvenience we may have caused you today" Kari said sickeningly sweetly. Mr Baker smiled once more and chuckled.  
"It is fine Miss Chastain, just get back to class" he replied, motioning for Kari and Josip to leave.

The two of them stood up and walked out of the small, dank office, closing the door behind them.

"Well, that was painful" Josip stated as bluntly as ever, noticing Kari trying to hold back her laughter.  
"Ahh! I just love watching you squirm sometimes 'Joe-Sup'!"  
"I thought I told you to stop calling me that!" Josip replied angrily.  
"Come on, let's just go to the study room"  
"Okay."

On their way to the study room a sudden sensation caught their attention.  
"Oi Kari, do you feel this?"  
"Yeah."  
"What do you think it is?  
Kari and Josip froze, trying to think about what could give off that kind of spiritual pressure.  
She jolted slightly as she felt a hand on her shoulder.  
"Yo." said a voice belong to one of her classmates.  
"Matt!" Josip exclaimed. "Can you feel that?"  
"Yeah, we need to hurry, it sounds like it is coming from the main street of town."  
Josip smirked and looked at Kari.  
"Welp, as soon as we get scathed by Baker for skipping class, we just go ahead and do it again ey?"  
Kari returned Josip's smirk and chuckled.  
"Why the hell did I get involved with you two?"  
The three set off for the main street of town where they could sense the odd spiritual pressure. They split up when they got there, looking for signs of anything suspicious.  
They re-grouped ten minutes later with no luck.  
"Maybe it was a false alarm?" Josip said, still looking concerned.  
"I don't think so, I can't think of any false alarm that feels li-"  
An explosion in the distance interrupted Matt and the group instinctively ran towards the source. Black smoke rose into the sky and hundreds of townspeople ran for their lives.  
"Damn! Why'd it have to happen in a public place, now the police are going to get involved and turn this whole thing into a mess!" Kari cursed under her breath as she ran alongside Matt and Josip.  
They reached the source of the explosion and saw a human-like figure standing there, in front of the billowing smoke. He had red hair that reached above his ears and held a large broadsword. The man was clad in armour. Almost like a knight that belonged in the middle ages. Josip and Kari stumbled back, they knew exactly who this person was.  
"R-Reaper..." Kari stuttered.  
"Oh shit, what is a Reaper doing here!?" Josip said in response. Matt looked confused, and was the only one of the three not trembling in fear.  
"What do you guys mean by Reaper?" He said quizzically. "He doesn't look like a Soul Re-"  
"No. Not a Soul Reaper" Josip said, interrupting him.  
Matt began to look troubled as the man in the armour noticed the three teenagers standing there.  
"Oh? What do we have here? I can sense your Spiritual Pressure. Assassins..."  
He turned to Matt and his ear to ear grin faded.  
"Hm? I can't tell what you are though?"  
Matt smirked and held his arm out. A bracelet sporting a cross with five points escaped the sleeve of his sweater.  
"Matt Arakaki... A Quincy"  
"Hoh? I have never heard of Quincies before, they must be unique to this region of Heaven. My name is Adolf Larsen. A Reaper."  
Matt continued to smirk and a flash of bright blue light emanated from the cross, forming a bow.

"Josip, Kari. You guys seem far too shaken up to fight this asshole, so let me handle it."

"Hmpf, you think that you are good enough to take me on? Fine, I will beat you down, then I will kill these Assassins."  
Matt narrowed his eyes and drew his bow.  
"I'd like to see you try."  
Larsen pointed his sword at Matt and quickly sliced at him, but Matt was able to dodge it. Matt jumped backwards into the sky and fired multiple arrows, but Larsen swatted them away with his sword and jumped towards Matt in the sky. He elbowed him and sent him flying through a nearby second-storey window. Matt clutched his shoulder and ripped a shard of glass out from his back. Larsen entered the abandoned second floor and sliced at Matt, but missed again.  
"That technique. It isn't Deplacer like the Assassins use."  
"It is called Hirenkyaku. I personally think it is better than Deplacer. Easier to master anyway."  
"Oh? It seems as though it manipulates spirit particles. Funny, our Instant Movement is the same."  
Larsen disappeared from Matt's sight and appeared in front of him, ready to strike, but a bladed weapon of Matt's met Larsen's sword. Matt kicked Larsen in the stomach and sliced at his arm with the weapon, cutting through the armour like butter, much to Larsen's shock.  
_"What was that, it looks like a blade, but, it almost felt like a chainsaw? The part of the armour it cut seems to have completely disappeared. Just what the hell is going on here?"  
_"Seele Schneider, a gift given to me by my father. It is the only bladed weapon in a Quincy's arsenal."  
"Oh? Using a sword now are we? Wonderful!"  
Larsen ran at Matt with his sword, but Matt quickly countered. They exchanged multiple blows and blew a hole in the wall of the building. Matt kicked Larsen in the stomach, causing him to fly through the hole and outside of the building. He regained his bearings in mid air and held out his hand. He appeared to mutter something to himself, but Matt couldn't hear what he was saying. Larsen smirked and multiple missile-like projectiles of lightening flew towards Matt who blocked what he could with Seele Schneider. The remaining projectiles blew apart what was left of the top storey of the building, causing the roof to cave in on Matt.  
Larsen grinned and sheathed his sword onto his back.  
"Now... To find and kill those Assassins..."  
"Hey, you shouldn't be celebrating yet."  
Behind him was Matt who had drawn Seele Schneider like an arrow.  
"Quincies don't use swords, but thanks for your Reishi."  
Matt fired his bow through the head of Larsen who fell from the sky to the ground. Matt sighed and made his escape towards the home he shared with Kari and Josip.

The two were already there and greeted Matt excitedly.  
"Matt!" they both shouted in tandem. "What happened?"  
"I got him." Matt replied, almost proudly. He sat down on the couch across from Josip and Kari.  
"That guy, Adolf Larsen. Was he from where I think he was from?"  
Josip and Kari looked at each other concerned and nodded.

"A Reaper. From the European Soul Society."


	2. Chapter 2: The Wheels Begin to Turn

Chapter Two here guys! Now, this is supposed to be set roughly ten years after the end of Bleach. So, most of the stuff in terms of Captains and the like is pure speculation. I have my reasons, but it is fun guessing I guess!****

Chapter 2: The Wheels Begin to Turn

"Captain! Captain!"  
The 8th squad captain awoke quickly and looked around the dimly lit room that he called home, a piece of paper stuck to his face. He peeled it off smoothly and let out a large yawn whilst rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. A large stack of paper loomed over him, almost menacingly, as if it was judging him for falling asleep in the middle of his work. He leaned back in his chair and buried his face deep into his hands.  
"I can't believe I fell asleep again. I swear I will never get this paperwork done."  
He said whilst sighing and running his hand through his hair.  
"Captain!"  
A loud voice screamed from outside, almost causing him to fall off his seat.  
"Y-Yes?" He replied hesitantly, trying to figure out who it was behind that door, however, he was unable to figure out whose voice it was while he was half-asleep.  
"Captain Commander Kyoraku has requested that all Captains attend an urgent meeting"  
The voice said, with an air of urgency about it.  
"I swear, I had no idea that being a Captain would be like this." He said, flustered as he got out of his seat and walked out of the door. He looked down at the person who the voice belonged to.  
"Oh, it is you Haruka" a smile on his face as he spoke to the woman kneeling on the wooden floor. She was rather short, and her black hair flowed down to her shoulders, bangs covering one of her hazel eyes.  
"C-Captain Kurosaki" she responded nervously, as she stared up at her captain. Ichigo placed his hand on Haruka's head and chuckled.  
"Come on Haruka, a Lieutenant shouldn't be so flustered in front of her Captain! Also, you can call me Ichigo ya know, I am not as stiff as some of the other Captains" Haruka pushed Ichigo's hand away as she stood up and became defensive.  
"C-Captain, I wouldn't dream of referring to you so informally!" Ichigo was taken aback, but didn't drop his laid back demeanour.  
"So, why is Shunsui calling all of the Captains to a meeting?"  
"I don't know Captain, he has also called the Lieutenants to the meeting as well, but I was only told what I told you"  
"I see, I see. Well, we better get going then!"  
Ichigo began to walk away, his haori flowed behind him as he walked and one half of his Zanpakutou clung to his back, the other half sat firmly on his hip.  
Ichigo looked over his shoulder and smiled.  
"Come on Haruka! Everybody is waiting"  
She looked on at her Captain's back as he walked away and let out a faint grin.  
"I guess I am lucky to have him as a Captain."

Just outside the 5th squad barracks stood Captain Shinji Hirako. His Lieutenant, Momo Hinamori stood beside him, her head darting back and forth.  
"Uhm, Captain? Who are we waiting for?" she said with her usual nervous tone of voice.  
"That's who." he replied as he pointed at Ichigo and Haruka who were walking towards the two Soul Reapers.  
"Yo, Shinji! Momo!" Ichigo said with a grin and a wave, much to Shinji's delight.  
"Why did you take so long?"  
"Well, I was asleep. I was doing paperwork and dozed off"  
Shinji chuckled, baring all of his teeth as usual.  
"Shall we get moving?" He said as he motioned everyone to start walking.  
"Hey, Shinji. Do you have any idea why Shunsui has called us to this meeting?" Ichigo said, concerned.  
"Well. Shunsui doesn't really like Captains meetings all that much so I think it must be relatively serious. Also, the fact that he has called our Lieutenants to the meeting too is quite unnerving"  
"Hey look it's Captain Kuchiki" said Momo to Shinji and Ichigo's surprise.  
They both looked at each other before replying in tandem.  
"Which one?"  
"Oi, Ichigo!" yelled a voice in the distance, answering his question in an instant.  
"Oh. That one." He said with a deadpan expression.  
"Captain Kuchiki, is that your brother's old scarf" asked Momo as she drew attention to the white scarf that flowed behind Rukia as she walked.  
"Y-Yes, he doesn't wear it any more, so he gave it to me."  
The petite captain's face became a bright red much to the amusement of Ichigo and Shinji. Behind her was the other Captain Kuchiki and Lieutenant Abarai, who gave Ichigo a wave that Ichigo returned.  
"Hey Byakuya, what do you think this is about?" Ichigo asked  
"I don't know. Renji, let's go"  
Ichigo and Shinji stared with blank looks as the two walked away.  
"That Byakuya, the life of the party as always I see" Ichigo and Shinji turned around to see Captain Ukitake who wore a big smile on his face.  
"Oh, hey Jushiro!" Ichigo said, as informal as ever.  
The Squad 13 Captain didn't care though, the smile on his face never seemed to disappear. He noticed Rukia behind Ichigo and waved.  
"Rukia, nice scarf you have there! I didn't think Byakuya would ever part with that!"  
Rukia continued to blush as she loosened the scarf around her neck.  
Shinji looked at Jushiro with a serious look, to which he returned.  
"No, I don't know why we are being called to this meeting either, but, I have a feeling that it is rather serious. Shunsui isn't the kind of person to call an emergency meeting for a small matter. Although, it is troublesome, I get the feeling that something is seriously wrong. Well, it has been nearly ten years since the fight with the Vandenreich, unfortunately, it seems as though these peaceful times are not going to last."

Captain-Commander Kyoraku stood at the end of the room with Nanao Ise, his Lieutenant. Filling up the rest of the room were the Captains and Lieutenants of the Thirteen Squads, all of them eager to find out what exactly this meeting was about. The Captain-Commander stood forward and with his usual enthusiasm began to speak.  
"I have called you all here on rather short notice because according to Captain Kurotsuchi we have a slight issue."  
The rest of the Captains and Lieutenants looked intrigued as their attention shifted to the Twelfth Squad Captain.  
"Not too long ago we detected the spiritual pressure of a Quincy in the World of The Living"  
The room fell deathly silent and housed an air of seriousness. All of the Captains in the room had fought the Vandenreich at one point, so they understood the gravity of the situation. Ichigo stood forward with a look of shock that he shared with the others in the room.  
"How can that be?"  
Mayuri looked at him with a deadpan expression.  
"There are obviously some survivors left"  
"I know tha-"  
"Well then, stop interrupting!"  
Ichigo stood back into line, much to his annoyance.  
"The Quincy was detected in Living Sector 967, which is in Australia."  
Captain Hitsugaya stood forward, much to Mayuri's irritation.  
"Australia? I don't know anybody who has been there before"  
"I have before, and so did Komamura while he was here. Other than that, low-level Soul Reapers patrol areas like that, they appear to be rather void of Hollows so we don't send many there" said the short Second Squad Captain in her deep and intimidating voice. Mayuri, who seemed to be getting more annoyed with every interruption, snapped.  
"Shut up! Let me finish!"  
The Captains who had stood forward stepped back into line accordingly as Mayuri let out a sigh of relief.  
"We detected a massive spike in spiritual activity at around 2:30pm local time, however, this was not caused by the Quincy, but a completely foreign kind of spiritual pressure. My division is trying to figure out what exactly could generate that kind of spiritual pressure, but as of now, we cannot say. What we do know is that soon after, the spiritual pressure of that unknown individual disappeared."  
Everybody in the room briefly glanced at each other, as if they were waiting for somebody to go first. Captain Ukitake was the first to speak up and the others who were present in the room listened to his question intently.  
"So, does it stand to reason that the person who owned that spiritual pressure was taken out by the Quincy?"  
"It is quite possible, yes. However, it seems as though there is more to worry about. After we detected the presence of the Quincy my squad went back through the records to see if there were any other anomalies in that location. There appears to be yet another group of people with spiritual powers that we didn't know about." This response had the unwanted effect of piling on more unanswered questions, which the Captains and Lieutenants in the room were trying to figure out. Captain Muguruma was the next to step forward to posit a question to the Twelfth Squad Captain.  
"So, there are two new groups that we do not know about?"  
"Yes. I cannot say for certain if the two are related in any way though."  
The people present in the room looked on in shock. Shunsui however let out a faint chuckle and stepped forward.  
"My, oh my, how troublesome. Thank you Captain Kurotsuchi, is there anything else that you can do in relation to this?"  
"I have asked Nemu and Akon to further analyse the two unknown kinds of spiritual pressure. I will have the results for you shortly."  
Shunsui smiled and nodded before continuing his speech.  
"Thank you again Captain Kurotsuchi for your work. Well, we cannot just leave this alone. There are two new groups of people and a Quincy that we have to worry about. How troubling."  
Everybody looked at each other nervously until Shinji stepped forward to offer his opinion.  
"We need to approach this in a manner that won't get us detected. We need to be stealthy. The last thing that we want is to get into a war here. No offense to Ichigo here, but if we sent someone like him, he'd give us away."  
Ichigo, obviously annoyed at that statement attempted to cut off Shinji's speech but Shunsui got there first.  
"What are you suggesting Shinji?"  
"We need to send in somebody who won't give us away and who will go about their job quietly. This is only for observation I take it, so a covert approach will be necessary. It seems like a job suited for Captain Sui Feng over there."  
Sui Feng was taken aback by such a suggestion and looked irritated that Shinji would single her out like that.  
"I agree." said Shunsui before continuing.  
"Sui Feng is to enter Living Sector 967 and report any odd findings. If she does find the targets, she is to interrogate them. I give her permission to use force if it is necessary."  
Sui Feng seemed somewhat happy to be given something to do and gave Shunsui a nod of recognition.  
"As for the rest of you, go back to work, and be prepared for anything. I get the feeling that this will not be the last you will hear of this."  
With those words the meeting ended and everybody went to their respective quarters, but with the content of the meeting burned deep into their minds.

At the Senkaimon was Sui Feng who slowly walked to it's entrance. Awaiting her at the gate were a few members from Squad 12 and the Kidou Corps who activated her limiter.  
"Now, swallow this please." said the petite young woman from Squad 12 as she handed Sui Feng a capsule.  
"What is it?"  
"It is a capsule designed by my Captain that gets over the language barrier. They speak English where you are going so this pill will make you think they are speaking Japanese and vice versa."  
"Hm, used to be a needle."  
Sui Feng accepted the strange little orange and blue capsule and with some degree of skepticism swallowed it. She looked at the gate for a few more seconds before beginning her walk again, soon disappearing into it. The doors closed behind her and she was on her way to the World of The Living.

"I have had a really bad feeling ever since Poppa passed away" said Josip solemnly as Matt and Kari looked at him concerned.  
"Kari. Do you remember what happened after we felt his spiritual pressure vanish?"  
…

"Kari! It is Poppa! I can't sense his spiritual pressure! I can't sense Aleksei's either!"  
"What?!"  
The two of them ran to the hideout as quickly as they could, avoiding cars and pedestrians along the way. They both burst through the door and noticed the bodies of both Ivan Seferovic and Aleksei Dugandzic laying lifelessly on the floor.  
"No... No way..." Josip stuttered as he fell to the floor and buried his face into his palms. Kari looked distraught as well and knelt beside Josip, wrapping her arms around him.  
"Kari. Look." Josip pointed to the two pairs of daggers that laid next to their bodies and Kari froze instantly.  
"I have never seen Poppa's Amepoignard like that. They look like the daggers I was handed when I first started training."  
"Josip. I know you are in a bad place here, but you are a master at manipulating and detecting spiritual pressure, can you examine the bodies?"  
Josip nodded softly and walked towards the bodies. He put his hands over both of them and a purple light emanated from his palms and lit up the dim room. His eyes widened and fear was written all over his face. He turned to Kari, his face pale and dripping with sweat.  
"I sense the spiritual pressure of some Reapers. You know what that means right?"  
Kari began to visibly shake and she punched the wall.  
"They destroyed their souls didn't they?"  
Josip looked down at the ground and wiped the tears from his eyes. He noticed the daggers once more and his eyes widened again. He performed the same technique that he did with the bodies and turned to Kari, looking terrified.  
"These Amepoignard. They are lifeless. Normally if an Assassin dies their Amepoignard's spirit remains and it is traditional to free them and burn them with the body of their owner."  
"What does this mean?"  
"I don't know Kari. I just don't know..."

…

Matt stood up and paced around the room in deep thought.  
"Do you think that the Reapers are coming after you guys now?"  
Kari and Josip looked at each other, then back at Matt.  
"Yes." They replied in tandem. Matt collapsed back into his chair and took a deep breath. Josip noticed the time and stood up gingerly, still shaken up from the whole ordeal.  
"I have to go to work, I will be back later tonight."  
"Are you sure it is a good idea?" Matt said out of concern for his friend. Josip nodded with an artificial smile and left the house soon after.  
"He still doesn't like talking about it." Kari said despondently. A tone that she shared with Matt.  
"Yeah, I can tell..."


	3. Chapter 3: The Lines That Divide Us

Fight scenes are hard to write. I think I have gotten somewhat better at them, well, compared to what I used to write at least. Anyway guys, here is the newest installment of this thing! I hope you all enjoy it. I had fun writing this one, and really couldn't stop. Hence why it is about 4-500 words longer than the previous two haha!

**Chapter 3: The Lines That Divide Us.**

A Hollow let out a bellowing roar as it chased the ghost of a young girl through a local park in Northlane. It managed to corner the young girl against a closed gate. It raised it's hand and was about to strike down the young girl, but was sliced from head to toe from behind before it could. The Hollow dissipated and flew into the sky. The one who sliced the Hollow knelt in front of the young girl and patted her head.  
"I am sorry, I can't send you to Soul Society. I did sense a Soul Reaper enter through a Senkaimon though, and close by, so I think you'll be fine"  
The young girl smiled at the young man who stood up and began to walk away.  
"Uhm, excuse me... What is your name?" asked a meek little voice that belonged to the girl.

The young man smiled and looked back at the ghost he had just saved.  
"Josip Seferovic."

Up in a nearby tree the Captain of the 2nd Squad observed Josip as he walked. She had observed him take down the hollow and had taken an interest in him. She thought that he may have been the one she was looking for.  
"Psh, I really don't want to waste my time on cannon fodder, especially after working close for the second night in a row when I cannot be arsed. Also, I don't want to make myself a target..."  
Josip continued to walk along the gravel path through the park. The trees rustled in the night and the lamp-posts flickered in ten second intervals. The crunching sound that Josip's boots made masked any noise that Sui Feng could've possibly made whilst she was observing him. She continued to perch on the branch, like a bird of prey ready to swoop upon it's target.  
"Hm, I wonder if he is the one who Kurotsuchi was talking about?"  
Her grasp on the hilt of her sword tightened as she continued to survey the situation.  
"I have to think about this. He might not be the one I am looking for, but he was able to take down that Hollow, so he is obviously not an ordinary person. He is definitely interesting. Even if he isn't who I am looking for it is probably worth interrogating him, after all, he may know the guy Kurotsuchi was talking about."  
She flash stepped from the branch to a couple metres ahead of Josip, making him stop in his tracks. She turned around and her piercing eyes cut straight through him. Josip stood there, eyes wide as he dropped the hoody he had flung over his shoulder.  
"You!"  
She said in her usual booming, intimidating voice. Josip gulped and stared at her a for a while longer before replying.  
"Y-Yes?"  
"Who are you?"  
The two stood there, staring each other down as a cool breeze swept through the park, blowing some loose leaves away from the ground.  
"Josip Seferovic."  
Sui Feng's eyes widened, as if she knew that name, but she quickly dismissed it.  
"I want to ask you some questions." She said as she pointed her sword at Josip.  
Josip pulled out one of his daggers, the black blade resembled glass, and Josip spun it around his finger.  
"I can see by your coat that you're a Captain. It is quite rare for a Captain to show up here. In fact. I don't think that I have ever seen a Captain here."  
"That's right, Captain of Squad 2 and leader of the Stealth Ops, Sui Feng."  
"Oh? Stealth Ops ey? Awesome, that's right up my alley"  
Sui Feng smirked as she entered a battle stance, an action that Josip returned.  
"I can see that you are interested in using force to subdue me, I invite you to try but..."  
Sui Feng's eyes widened as Josip disappeared from her sight.  
"It will be of no use"  
A voice whispered into her ear. She instinctively slashed her sword at whoever was behind her, but he quickly jumped backwards onto a nearby tree branch.  
_"Shit, I didn't even see him get behind me, why is he so fast?"  
_Josip vanished from Sui Feng's sight once more and began circling her using his own kind of Flash Step.  
"Hah, don't think that you can trick me!"  
She sliced at Josip, forcing him to duck under her blade, however, it grazed him above the eye, causing his forehead to bleed.  
"Hmpf"  
Josip touched his forehead and noticed the blood on his fingertips, he smirked and lunged at Sui Feng with frightening speed. She quickly blocked his dagger with her sword, but was unprepared for the dagger in Josip's left hand that she barely avoided. The two exchanged multiple blows and the sound of steel clashing reverberated throughout the night air. Josip swiftly kicked Sui Feng in the ribs with his instep, but she elbowed his knee in return. They continued to exchange blows until Josip threw the dagger in his right hand up into the sky. He punched Sui Feng in the confusion and leapt over her whilst she was holding her nose. He sliced the back of her leg with the dagger in his left hand after he landed causing her to kneel down in pain. The dagger that was thrown into the sky found its way back into Josip's right hand and he attempted to stab Sui Feng in the back of the neck. Yet, she managed to turn around and block the strike with her sword. The two smirked simultaneously and jumped away from each other.  
"That was an impressive move back there, but that won't be enough to defeat me I'm afraid!"  
Josip chuckled and spun his daggers around his fingers.  
"So this is a Captain ey? My Grandfather was right, you guys are amazing."  
Sui Feng returned the chuckle and grinned.  
"Please, flattery is not going to get you anywhere"  
"I am well aware that it won't"  
"I am surprised, a lot of men wouldn't fight me because I am a woman"  
"Hmpf, idiots. Gender doesn't matter on the battlefield."  
Josip narrowed his eyes and flash stepped behind Sui Feng, but she knew it was coming and quickly sliced behind her, cutting Josip's shirt. She flashed stepped towards him and tripped him, with the intention of stabbing him whilst he was on the ground. Josip rolled out of the way and tripped Sui Feng in return, attempting the same move, but she kicked one of Josip's daggers out of his hand. He tried stabbing her with the other, but she quickly rolled out of the way and punched him in the stomach. Whilst he was hunched over she elbowed him in the jaw, causing him to fly into the stone wall of a public restroom.  
_"Shit, she's good, and she's not even using her Shikai. Fighting cannon fodder for so long has made me rusty, I have to step up my game"  
_Josip sluggishly got up to find Sui Feng standing over him, much to his surprise. He smirked and stood up, disregarding the fact that she was right there. They both attempted to land the first blow, but their blades connected instead, causing an explosion and debris from the public rest-room to rain from the sky. They continued to exchange blows, but neither was able to get an advantage. Josip then ran circles around Sui Feng in an attempt to confuse her, but she was wise to it as she sliced at him.  
"This didn't work the first time so what makes you th-"  
The Josip she cut dissipated much to her shock.  
"What kind of trick is this? A Clone?"  
Josip appeared behind her once more and kicked her into the sky. She quickly regained her bearings and looked down to see what looked like Josip wall jumping through the air. Before she knew it, he was in front of her, elbowing her and sending her flying towards the earth, which she hit with frightening force. He kicked off thin air and flew towards Sui Feng like a torpedo. He went for a thrust, but Sui Feng was somehow able to block it, causing them both to fly backwards with horrific force. Sui Feng landed back first into a tree and Josip barrel rolled across the tough dirt surface of the park. Both of them sluggishly stood up, breathing heavily. The injuries that they had sustained throughout the fight were beginning to show, but that didn't stop either of them from enjoying the experience.  
"Hah, that isn't Shunpo." Sui Feng said, a smile on her face as she wiped some blood away from her lips.  
"Nope, it is called Déplacer"  
"I see, it seems fairly different than Shunpo, Sonido and Hirenkyaku"  
"Déplacer is done by kicking off the ground and grabbing it again at the desired location. If done wrong, it could end horribly."  
"It sounds like a pain."  
"Not for a master like me..."

"Whisper, Feuilles de Changement." said a voice in the distance, catching both Sui Feng and Josip by surprise.  
_"That was a release command?!"_ Sui Feng thought, eyes wide and mouth agape.  
"Goddammit Kari..." cursed Josip, covering his face from a large gust of wind. A barrage of red and orange leaves encircled the area and in the distance a young woman stood. Beautiful red robes rippled behind her and long orange hair flowed down to her shoulder blades. She stared at Sui Feng with fierce emerald eyes and disappeared from her sight. She reappeared behind the Captain and sliced at her shoulders with both daggers. Before Sui Feng could react Kari had disappeared again and reappeared next to Josip, autumn leaves still covering the vicinity and falling from the sky. She wasn't the same Kari who constantly butted heads with Josip, this one was beautiful and graceful, her moves were dance-like, like she was at one with the leaves, floating in the wind.  
"Why did you have to use your Liberation?" Josip said sternly.  
"You won't be able to take down a Captain unless you use your Liberation." She replied smoothly.

"_I know that was a release command! But there is no Zanpakutou release that looks anything like that. Her daggers look like ordinary unreleased Zanpakutou. Just who are these people?"  
_"Why have Soul Society sent a Captain here?" Kari asked, pointing one of her daggers at Sui Feng.  
"Reconnaissance mostly. We detected some foreign spiritual pressures, so I was sent here to investigate."  
Kari and Josip looked at each other and then back at Sui Feng, but before Josip and Kari could respond an explosion in the distance caught the attention of all three.  
"What the hell is it now?" muttered Sui Feng, aggravated at all of these events. A young woman ran out from the smoke. Her clothes were tattered and she had cuts all over her body. A broadsword clung to her back and grenades along with other explosives lined her belt. She grabbed a gun from a holster and fired into the smoke. She noticed Sui Feng, Josip and Kari and motioned for all three to run.  
"Run! Don't follow me! Just run!"  
Josip looked at the wall of smoke and squinted, trying to make out what could possibly be there. He stumbled backwards when he noticed the ten to twenty silhouettes that populated the inside.  
"Holy shit! Kari! Run!"  
They began to bolt towards the gate of the park, and Josip looked over his shoulder at Sui Feng who was still standing there.  
"You! Captain! We will answer all of your questions, just follow us!"  
She reluctantly complied and followed Kari and Josip who ran out of the park at full speed. In the distance they could hear the sounds of clashing swords and gunshots.  
"I really didn't want to leave her behind..." said Josip solemnly.  
"It wasn't our fight, she wouldn't have wanted us there anyway" Kari replied. "They weren't fodder either. They were all fairly powerful, and I have the feeling that there were even more."

The two arrived at a beautiful two-story house on the corner of an intersection, gasping for air. Sui Feng studied the exterior of the house and noticed Matt on the front porch, who looked just as shocked as them.  
"What the hell happened?! Some serious shit is going down at the moment, I can still sense it!"  
Kari turned to Josip and then to Sui Feng. She ran one of her hands through her hair and sighed heavily. "Okay, let's go inside, Josip and I will explain."

"I see. So you don't know who this woman was?"  
Josip looked at the ground, obviously troubled, which Kari noticed.  
"What's wrong?"  
Josip looked up and slouched back into the couch.  
"She had the same sort of Spiritual Pressure as the guy from yesterday." Matt and Kari looked at each other, sharing Josip's concern. Sui Feng, feeling left out, spoke up.  
"Who was the guy from yesterday? We detected his Spiritual Pressure in Soul Society, and I was sent here to investigate."  
Kari looked at her earnestly, then shifted her glance to the roof.  
"He was a Reaper. From the European Soul Society."  
"European Soul Society?" Sui Feng responded, confused. Josip, Kari and Matt looked at each other quizzically.  
"You don't know about the other Soul Societies?" Matt queried. Sui Feng shook her head. Matt stood up and looked out the window.  
"The Soul Society that you are familiar with is only one of eight around the world. Our planet is split, along fairly arbitrary lines, that do not respect cultural differences or language barriers. This country itself, Australia, is split into three. Hell, the city of Melbourne itself is halved between two Soul Societies. Hueco Mundo is the same. Hell isn't for some reason, we are not sure why. The Soul Societies remain separate, for example, someone who dies here, will go to the Soul Society that you are familiar with, but they will never be able to go to the European Soul Society. This has caused problems in Melbourne. Someone who passes on in the west will never be able to re-unite with a family member who dies in the east." Matt sat back down and rested his head on one of his hands. Sui Feng looked visibly shocked, like a million things were being processed in her head. She looked at the three of them and ran one of her hands through her hair.  
"Who exactly are these 'Reapers' then?" She asked. Josip straightened up and looked her in the eyes.  
"They exist for the same reason you guys exist. Every Soul Society has their own variant, with different codes and ethics. The European Soul Society's Reapers are bastards. Every variant of Reaper purifies Hollows, the difference with the European Soul Society is that they have developed a method to tell if somebody has reached Soul Society after being purified. Those people are sold into slavery. They also control who gets sent to Hell-"  
"They can't! Hell is supposed to be self-governing!" Sui Feng interjected, but Josip quickly responded.  
"They created an agreement many years ago. Hell doesn't have to be self-governing. Your Soul Society just chooses not to, which is the right thing to do. The people who run the European Soul Society are not merciful. Criminals such as murderers are of course sent to Hell, just like they are here, but, over there... Let's just say that things are more exclusive. Minor indiscretions are punished with slavery and forced labour. People who they deem to be 'Morally Righteous' are allowed freedoms and live in comparative luxury."  
"European Soul Society has better living conditions, but is oppressive to no end. This Soul Society has shitty living conditions, but doesn't discriminate and things are relatively free. Pick your poison." Kari said, without her usual sarcasm.  
"Then, who are you guys?" Sui Feng asked curiously.

"Kari and I are Assassins. The Assassins were founded in France, hence, why our technique names are called what they are. The Assassins were spiritually aware humans who hated the European Soul Society, so they trained, and began to purify Hollows, hence our original name of 'Guidage-Creux'. When a Hollow is purified and sent to Soul Society by an Assassin, the Reapers can't detect if a soul was once a Hollow. Our ancestors spread throughout Europe, and spiritually aware humans were able to come together without feeling at odds with their communities because of their powers. The Assassins were at the forefront of a rebellion hundreds of years ago, and as a response, the Reapers began to hunt us down. Our numbers dwindled, and because of this we became masters at hiding our spiritual pressure and fighting from the shadows, hence us adopting the name of Assassins, because of the way we fight."  
"Hang on, if the Assassins are from Europe then how come you guys are here?"  
"There are tonnes of immigrants from Europe here in Australia. For example, Josip's grandparents moved here from Bosnia, and my parents came from France."  
"What about you?" Sui Feng asked, pointing to Matt, who had stayed quiet for the past few minutes.  
"I am a Quincy"  
Sui Feng stood up in shock and drew her sword much to the shock of everyone in the room.  
"Are you affiliated with the Vandenreich?"  
"Vanden-what?" Matt asked, confused.

"Oh, I see..." said Matt in response to what Sui Feng had just told him.  
"What an ending!" Josip proclaimed, to which Kari agreed.  
Bang, bang, bang! A knock was heard at the front door and Josip got up to greet whoever was there. He cautiously looked into the peephole and frantically twisted the doorknob to open it. A woman collapsed into Josip's arms, she was covered in blood and it dripped all over the floorboards.  
"Who is it?!" Matt asked as he raced towards Josip.  
"It's that Reaper who was in the park earlier..."

-  
-Deplacer- Means 'Shift' in French  
-Feuilles de Changement- Means 'Leaves of Change'


	4. Chapter 4: Ambitions of an Empire

Chapter 4 is here! The name of the game here... How much crappier could I make the afterlife in the Bleach universe? If you thought European Soul Society was bad before, well, it just got worse! Enjoy!

**Chapter 4: Ambitions of an Empire**

Morning had arrived in Northlane. Rays of sunlight entered the lounge-room, bathing it in a warm yellow glow. Kari, who had woken up ten minutes ago, stared at the injured woman on the big couch intently. After she stumbled through the front door, the four, including Sui Feng patched her up as well as they could. Luckily her injuries weren't too severe, and minimal bandaging and first aid was enough to keep her alive. The young woman woke up and rubbed her eyes. She sluggishly sat up and brushed her blond hair out of her eyes. She winced in pain and held her shoulder, noticing the bandages that wrapped around her back.  
"You." said Kari bluntly. "What's your name?"  
The young woman observed her surroundings, including the clock that read 8am. She looked at Kari and buried her face into her hands.  
"Claire Eskelinen."  
The room fell silent and Kari crossed her arms, still judging Claire's every move. Claire's glance shifted to the corner of the room where her broadsword and other gadgets sat.  
"Where am I?"  
"My house. I share it with a few friends." Kari replied. Claire stared at her with heavy looking gray eyes. Little bags had formed under them and her face looked quite sickly.  
The sound of footsteps down the stairs was accompanied by Josip who instantly noticed Claire looking towards him.  
"Good morning. Are you feeling okay?" he asked sincerely. Claire gave him a little nod and her eyes widened as she shot up.  
"You are the two from the park yesterday!" she proclaimed. She grabbed her sides and winced in pain. Her ribs had not fully healed yet.  
"We were going to ask you some questions about what the hell was going on there, but we'll wait until everyone is here." Josip said with a smile. "Oh, is Sui Feng still here?"  
"That Captain is on the roof. She said that she was reporting some stuff to Soul Society" Kari said as she shoved a piece of toast in her mouth.  
"Yo."  
Sui Feng looked down at the ground from the roof and saw Josip standing there. She ignored him and went back to her reporting. Josip sighed and jumped onto the roof. Sui Feng looked over her shoulder and saw Josip there, with a cup of tea.  
"What are you doing here?" she said coldly. Josip sighed and scratched his messy head of hair.  
"The Reaper woke up."  
Sui Feng nodded and instantly went back to her work. Josip took a gulp of his tea and sat down next to Sui Feng. She narrowed her eyes, and stood up.  
"My Superior has told me to return to Soul Society, and to bring all of you with me."  
"Wait, what?"  
"What part of that didn't you understand?"  
"It's just, why?"  
"The Captain-Commander wants you guys and the Reaper to report directly to him and the other Captains in Soul Society."  
Sui Feng jumped off the roof of the house, leaving Josip standing there, still confused. He had technically been involved in the spiritual world and Soul Society's affairs for quite some time, but he had never thought about actually going to Soul Society. Not even his Grandfather had gone. He had heard stories about what the conditions were like, but he had no idea what it was actually like. He stood on the roof for a while longer before being called down into the house by Kari.  
Claire, Josip, Matt and Kari sat on the couches in the Lounge-room as Sui Feng stood in front of them. Despite her small stature she looked strong, and she spoke with a cold tone in her voice. Enough to freeze anybody that she conversed with. She explained the situation and Kari glanced at Matt and Josip who both stared at the ground, with solemn looks in their eyes. Matt because he found interacting with Shinigami uncomfortable and the thought of helping them, unthinkable, Josip, because he was uncertain that he wanted to go, he preferred living in relative isolation, away from the prying eyes of Soul Society. Kari glanced at both of them once more and stood up. She walked across to Josip and slapped him across the back of the head, which irritated him greatly.  
"Geez, I can kind of understand why Matt isn't thrilled, but why do you look like the world is ending?"  
Josip rubbed the back of his head and looked up at Kari. She had that look in her eye, a look of excitement, she had always been one for adventure and for new experiences. She had never been to Soul Society herself, and Josip knew that she was more interested in causing trouble than anything else.  
Josip sighed and buried his face into his hands.  
"Do you promise not to cause any trouble?"  
Kari grinned from ear to ear and patted Josip's head, which only served to irritate him further.  
"Don't worry, don't worry, since when have I been known to cause trouble?"  
Josip couldn't help but laugh, and stood up.  
"Alright, I'll go. Matt?"  
Matt looked up at Josip and Kari who were both staring at him, smiling.  
"I really don't want to, but I have a feeling that if we're going to deal with this crap then we'll have to co-operate with Soul Society."  
Sui Feng, Matt, Josip and Kari turned their attention to Claire, who hadn't said a word. She stood up and walked to the corner of the room. She put on her belt full of gadgets and other equipment, and slipped a gun into the holster that lay on her hip. Next was the large sword. She picked it up and strapped it to her back. She turned around and smirked at the four people staring at her.  
"I honestly thought that it would take longer for me to get to this 'Soul Society' as you call it"  
"Hang on, I am not too sure that I can trust you." said Sui Feng calmly.  
Claire smiled and stretched out her arms.  
"I understand. Feel free to cuff me if you want"  
Sui Feng walked up to her and placed her index fingers on both of Claire's wrists. She muttered some words to herself and golden chains wrapped themselves around Claire's wrists.  
"What is this?" She said, a look of surprise on her face.  
"It is a Kidō that seals a person's Reiryoku. You are lucky, I am letting you move your arms freely." Sui Feng replied coolly.  
"I take it Kidō are spells? And by Reiryoku you mean Spiritual Energy?"  
Sui Feng thought for a second and nodded. She turned to the other three and thought to herself again before walking away, motioning for them all to follow her.  
"Why didn't you do the same with us?" Matt asked.  
"I am not too concerned with you three. I am honestly more concerned with her since you guys have an innate distrust of her kind. Ideologically speaking, I feel as if I can trust you Assassin's more."  
"But I am not an Assassin remember"  
"You almost sound as if you want to have your Reiryoku sealed?" Sui Feng said as she smirked.  
Matt chuckled and shrugged his shoulders.  
"Just asking, no need to get snarky now."

Near the main Senkaimon in Soul Society stood Marechiyo Ōmaeda, who had just gotten word that his Captain was returning. He looked over his shoulder and saw Captain Rukia Kuchiki, her scarf flowing behind her.  
"Captain Kuchiki?" said Ōmaeda, "What are you doing here?"  
"I was asked by the Captain-Commander to greet Captain Sui Feng."  
"I am her Lieutenant, I could've done it, you didn't have to come out all this way."  
"She is coming here with a few others. A few Captains might deter them from trying something funny."

Ōmaeda nodded and turned his gaze back towards the Senkaimon that had begun to open. A blinding white light emanated from the massive door as it opened. In the light five figures appeared, walking towards Ōmaeda and Rukia.  
"Captain!" said Ōmaeda excitedly as he ran up to his Captain. She nonchalantly raised her fist and Ōmaeda ran straight into it.  
"Captain, what was that for!?" he bellowed, holding his now bleeding nose.  
"Act a little dignified for once!"  
"Captain Sui Feng, are these the people you were telling us about?" asked Rukia to which Sui Feng nodded.  
"I put a Bakudō Kidō on the blond woman there. I have sealed her Reiryoku for now. I trust the other three enough, so I didn't do the same to them. However, I am still going to keep a close eye on them"  
Rukia nodded and turned to the four new-comers.  
"Oi! Don't help him, he needs to learn his lesson!" snapped Sui Feng at Matt who had offered Ōmaeda some help.  
"So this is 'Soul Society' eh? I kind of expected as much, Japan is the dominant culture in this region." said Claire to herself as she made her own observations.  
"Ooooh! Are you a Captain too!" cried Kari with enthusiasm as she pointed at Rukia. Confusion flushed Rukia's face as she nodded.  
"Oi, stop acting like a bunch of five year olds!" yelled Sui Feng.  
"Just so we're clear, I am not affiliated with her." replied Josip as he pointed at Kari to which she glared at him in response.

"Come with me" said Rukia as she motioned for the group to follow her, which they did.

"What is this place?" asked Claire, still making little observations.

"This is the Seireitei, it is the centre of Soul Society and it is where the Shinigami reside." Rukia replied, seemingly happy to answer any question she was asked.

"Would I be correct in assuming that the 'Shinigami' are like the military here?"  
"Yes."  
"Do the Shinigami run Soul Society itself?"  
"No, we have a specific government that does that."  
"I see, that is different to where I am from."  
Rukia turned around and looked at Claire, surprised.  
"Are there Shinigami where you're from?" Rukia asked Claire in a role-reversal.  
"Yes, and I am one of them, but we are called Reapers. We are the military and Heaven is run by us."

"How is everything structured?" asked Kari curiously.  
"What do you mean?" asked Claire in response.  
"Well, like, here the Shinigami are split into Squads with a Captain, second seat, third seat and so on. Is there something similar in the European Soul Society?"

"There are eighteen groups called Legions, with a leader called a 'Scout'. Above the Scouts are nine Imperial Senators, who, as their name may imply, have a seat in the Upper Imperial Senate, and they have control of two Legions"  
"Where do you fit in with all that?" queried Matt  
Claire smiled and closed her eyes.  
"I used to be a part of it. Outside of the Legions there is a Technological Development Bureau. We're known as Engineers, we use unconventional techniques and weapons. We also maintain a lot of the infrastructure around Heaven, and are typically seen as being the lowest common denominator of the military. Even the slaves that are forced into military service in the Legions are seen as more honourable."  
"How many soldiers are there?" asked Sui Feng.  
"I'd say around 250,000"

The group arrived at the large door of the meeting place, and were let in soon after. Sui Feng and Rukia quickly took their places in line, leaving the other four at the end of two lines of experienced combatants. They made their introductions and bowed out of respect.  
"Welcome Assassins, Quincy, and, Reaper." proclaimed Captain-Commander Kyōraku. "I hope that Captain Sui Feng and Captain Kuchiki have been as accommodating as possible. Sui Feng relayed the information you three shared with her to us so we are not completely in the dark here."

"Why have we been called here?" asked Josip, looking slightly concerned.

"We probably wouldn't have done so, had it not have been for her, and the scuffle she got into, which we detected here" Kyōraku replied, pointing a finger at Claire. "We need her to tell us what exactly is going on, and, I expect you three want to aid us... Especially if the European Soul Society is getting involved."  
Josip, Kari and Matt looked at each other nervously before nodding.  
"Now, Claire. Would you like to tell us what is going on?"  
Claire nodded and stood forward. She took a deep breath and began to speak.

"A few months ago, a three year long civil war in my Heaven ended. It began with a military coup in which the old Emperor was killed. It would be akin to the Soul King being murdered by the the Shinigami here. This created a civil war, with the military on one side, and my side, who wanted to create a freer Heaven. Unfortunately though, my side lost, and now the military is in control politically as well. At first, the military just imprisoned members of the opposition, it was whilst I was in prison that I heard. I knew that this new regime was evil, but... They invaded another region of Heaven. Unfortunately the region they invaded had been fragmented and war torn for thousands of years, which meant they were able to roll over any and all opposition in a short amount of time. After their victory they began hunting down and slaughtering any opposition, as well as executing those they had thrown in jail, including me. Luckily I was able to escape thanks to some fellow freedom fighters. I came here for one reason. To warn you all. A reliable source has told me that. That this region is next. Their next target is Soul Society."  
It was as if the entire world had been stripped of sound. The birds that would have otherwise been heard chirping had stopped singing. It had become so deathly quiet that one could hear a pin drop. Nobody knew what to say, even Kari, Josip and Matt were busy trying to process it. Captain Kurosaki had his fists clenched, as if he wanted to scream.  
"Why? Why are they doing this?" he said through clenched teeth.  
"All of the regions of Heaven are separate, unless you have an above average amount of Spiritual Energy, you cannot move from the region your soul is tied to. They want to unite all of the regions. Under their name. Through war and bloodshed. This is wrong. There is a reason why the regions are kept separate, I do not quite know why, but I have been working on theories."  
"Oh? Theories?" asked Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi curiously.  
"I am only in the early stages, none of them are fleshed out, but... Listen, do you guys have a research department?"  
Kurotsuchi's eyes lit up and a ear to ear grin showed up on his face.  
"You just answered the leader's question!"  
Claire smirked and laughed.  
"Why am I not surprised?"  
"Hang on, why did a Reaper attack us a few days ago?" asked Kari.  
"Because the Reapers are scared of the Assassins. The Assassins know how the Reapers fight better than anyone. They don't want you guys telling Soul Society their weaknesses."  
"Is there a concrete date?" asked Captain Hitsugaya.  
Claire shook her head. "I have no idea when, I am sorry."  
"I have a question." said Captain Hirako, to which Claire nodded.  
"Why us? I presume we are a fair distance from your Soul Society? Wouldn't it make more sense to attack the next place over?"  
"It is purely tactical. This region, as well as mine are unique in that we are the only two regions where the military utilise Spiritual Energy to a large degree. They have reasoned that if they eliminate and take over Soul Society you guys won't meddle in their affairs when they inevitably attempt to take over the other regions."  
The room became silent again and Kyōraku stood forward.  
"I think we all need time to go away and think. I will hold another Captain's meeting for tomorrow. Kari, Matt and Josip, I am putting you in Sui Feng's ca-"  
"Why me?"  
"Because they know you better."  
"Hmpf"  
"As for Claire, I give you permission to do research with Captain Kurotsuchi. It seems as though you have a bit to keep you occupied. However, we are not going to remove the seal yet."  
Claire nodded and bowed slightly.  
"Okay, Go back to what you were doing and think this over. I will see you all tomorrow!"


End file.
